THE BLESSED VIRGIN The Collect. WE beseech thee, O Lord, and let no man dwell therein: THE ANNUNCIATION OF and his bishoprick let another take. Wherefore of these men, which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of pour thy grace into our John, unto that same day that hearts; that as we have known he was taken up from us, must the incarnation of thy Son Je one be ordained to be a witness sus Christ by the message of an with us of his resurrection. And angel; so by his cross and pasthey appointed two, Joseph sion we may be brought unto called Barsabas, who was sur-the glory of his resurrection, named Justus, and Matthias. through the same Jesus Christ And they prayed, and said, our Lord. Amen. Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, show whether of these two thou hast chosen; that he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven Apostles. The Gospel. St. Matt. xi. 25. ed, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered unto me of my Father; and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. For the Epistle. Isa. vii. 10. MOREOVER, the Lord saying, Ask thee a sign of the V spake again unto Ahaz, Lord thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord. And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign: Bevirgin and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Butter and honey shall he cat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. The Gospel. St. Luke i. 26. AND in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a Virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the Virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying. and cast in her mind what inan ner of salutation this should be. the measure of the gift of And the angel said unto her, Christ. Wherefore he saith, Fear not, Mary; for thou hast When he ascended up on high, found favour with God. And he led captivity captive, and behold thou shalt conceive in gave gifts unto men. (Now thy womb, and bring forth a that he ascended, what is it but son, and shalt call his name Je- that he also descended first into sus. He shall be great, and the lower parts of the earth? shall be called the Son of the He that descended is the same Highest; and the Lord God also that ascended up far above shall give unto him the throne all heavens, that he might fill of his father David. And he all things.) And he gave some shall reign over the house of Ja-apostles, and some prophets, cob for ever; and of his king-and some evangelists, and some dom there shall be no end. Then pastors and teachers; for the said Mary unto the angel, How perfecting of the saints, for the shall this be, seeing I know not work of the ministry, for the a man? And the angel answer-edifying of the body of Christ ed and said unto her, The Ho- till we all come in the unity of ly Ghost shall come upon thee, the faith, and of the knowledge and the power of the Highest of the Son of God, unto a pershall overshadow thee: there-fect man, unto the measure of fore also that holy thing which the stature of the fulness of shall be born of thee, shall be Christ: that we henceforth be called the Son of God. And no more children, tossed to and behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together, and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body, unto the edifying of itself in love. The Gospel. St. John xv. 1. SAINT MARK'S DAY. The Collect. ALMIGHTY God, who hast instructed thy holy Church with the heavenly doctrine of thy Evangelist Saint Mark; give as grace, that being AM the true vine, and my not like children carried away Father is the husbandman. with every blast of vain doc- Every branch in me that beartrine, we may be established eth not fruit, he taketh away; in the truth of thy holy Gos-and every branch that beareth pel, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. The Epistle. Ephes. iv. 7. UNTO every one of us is given grace, according to fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As |